Long Beach to sue L.A. over port project

Los Angeles will have a legal battle on its hands after approving a massive railyard project on Port of Los Angeles property that borders Long Beach neighborhoods.

The Long Beach City Council voted 9-0 in closed session before its meeting Tuesday to sue Los Angeles over the Southern California International Gateway railyard, or SCIG, the 153-acre facility planned in an industrial area near the 47 Freeway.

City officials have said that the $500 million project - which would allow trucks to load containers and put them on trains closer to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, rather than having trucks travel 24 miles away to the BNSF Hobart Yard - would worsen health and traffic issues already impacting West Long Beach and Wilmington neighborhoods.

"We are disappointed by the Cities decision to litigate," BNSF spokeswoman Lena Kent said in an email response. "However, BNSF remains committed to working with Long Beach to create jobs, reduce traffic on the local highway and improve the environment for its residents."

Los Angeles officials could not be immediately reached for comment late Tuesday.

The lawsuit by Long Beach and others seemed likely after the Los Angeles City Council last week rejected appeals by Long Beach and community groups to re-examine the project's environmental impact report.

"They've ignored the concerns of the residents and they've ignored those who have made suggestions on how to make the project better," said Long Beach City Councilman James Johnson, whose 7th District encompasses the neighborhoods affected by the project.

Last week, Councilman Joe Buscaino, who represents the Harbor Area, urged approval of the project.

"With a $500 million investment, this is a good project from both an environmental and economic point of view," Buscaino said. "This will be the cleanest rail yard ever built in this country and will mean a reduction in air pollution through better cargo handling and eliminating 1 million truck trips a year on the freeway. "

If built, the facility would be able to handle up to 2.8 million container units from the ports, including 570,800 units in 2016, the first year of operation, according to the port.

Proponents such as the chambers of commerce in Los Angeles and Long Beach say the facility will create jobs.